Bengal Flying Club

[Sonofacqms]

This came with a collection of badges in a box bearing the badge of the Madras Sappers and Miners which I have already posted, from what I gather the club consisted of a Tiger Moth aircraft, so there could not have been many members.

If anyone has any more information I would be grateful.

Rob

[Cribyn]

Hello Rob

Many thanks for showing this badge.

Some time ago I raised a query about some buttons bearing the letters 'BFC' which seemed vaguely Indian in style and, after several suggestions, 'B......Flying Club' was mentioned as a possibility.

Your badge just set me wondering whether 'Bengal Flying Club' was the answer!

Original thread here - http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...l+foot+cavalry

Roger

PS A little more information about the Club here - https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarch...0-%200480.html

[Sonofacqms]

Roger,

Many thanks for the info on the Bengal Flying Club, these badges came with the wings, Assam Valley Light Horse and the Royal Engineer badges with crowns which were almost certainly made in India.

I would think the original owner was quite well off as there was a Bentley Drivers Club badge along with this lot, I'd love to put a name to the owner.

Rob

[Jeff Mc William]

Hi Rob
According to some extracts from the early issues of "Flight" (see Cribyn's ref), the Bengal Flying Club was opened on 2nd Feb 1929 by the Governor of Bengal Sir Stanley Jackson.
The Clubhouse was the old Bengal Artillery Officer's Mess (Dum-Dum) and the aircraft comprised, two DH60 Gipsy Moths (VT-AAC & VT-AAD) and one Avro Avian (G-IAAX on loan).
As far as I can see, by 1934 the membership was 359, by which time they had acquired 3 aircraft (not specified) and 5 privately owned .. so the club was fairly active.
By 1938 tho' there was only one aircraft on strength and I am not sure what happened after that.
I guess your wings could date from this period ... but, looking at the material, I would say more likely post WW2. Regards Jeff

[Sonofacqms]

I bought this lot locally at an auction which stated that some of the lots were from the residue of Agatha Christie's estate.

I recently visited Greenways in Devon by the river Dart which Agatha and her second husband owned and searched to see if there was any connections, Archibald Christie her first husband had been in the RFA when he first met Agatha and then the Royal Flying Corps at the beginning of the Great War. I could not find any reference to the Bengal Flying Club or indeed any to India or Bentley cars, so these items former owner remains a mystery.

Many thanks for all information on the subject.

Rob

[Mike Jackson]

Only vaguely related to the above - the Private Pilot's Licence (Flying Machines) (Government of India) - issued to Gordon Laverick at that time a 2Lt in 11th Cavalry, Frontier Force (PAVO), but on his one year infantry attachment to the DLI. He returned to PAVO, but in July 1940 his Squadron was detached and transferred at no notice to the CIH. The reason for this was that on the eve of embarkation from Bombay for the Middle East the Sikh Squadron (B Sqn) of the CIH mutinied and refused to embark. Laverick then served as an officer in the CIH (4 Indian Inf Div's Recce Regt) in the Western Desert, Eritrea, the Western Desert again, Persia, Italy and Greece. He left the CIH as a Major (Mentioned in Despatches twice) in 1947 and transferred to the British Army (RA and then RAOC). He retired as an RAOC Lt Col. He was still flying - in his leisure time - in the late 1940s/early 1950s in Malaya, flying cash for the workers on isolated rubber plantations and tin mines. The DH82a is the Tiger Moth.
Laverick_PPL.01.jpgLaverick_PPL.02.jpg

[davidwyke]

Originally Posted by Cribyn

Hello Rob

Many thanks for showing this badge.

Some time ago I raised a query about some buttons bearing the letters 'BFC' which seemed vaguely Indian in style and, after several suggestions, 'B......Flying Club' was mentioned as a possibility.

Your badge just set me wondering whether 'Bengal Flying Club' was the answer!

Original thread here - http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...l+foot+cavalry

Roger

PS A little more information about the Club here - https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarch...0-%200480.html

What a fascinating group of items!

I must admit that when I suggested a 1930's "B..... Flying Club" as an ID for Roger's button I was thinking more in terms of somewhere in this country. Bengal never occurred to me but it would fit the bill nicely.

Just a pity that the original owner didn't remove a button from his (Savile Row) club blazer and place it in the box, it might just have resolved Roger's query!

David

[Sonofacqms]

Thanks to all who have contributed to this post, I am always trying to research items in my collection, some of which I run into the proverbial "Brick wall".

I do find auction houses are slightly more discreet than MI5 when it comes to researching items, I wish they would give the buyers name to the vendor in the hope the vendor would make contact.

History is lost . . !

Rob